Monday, October 6, 2014

Visiting Gosh Comics in London

They like to describe themselves as, "a mean little comics shop in the heart of London."

But I assure you Gosh Comics along Berwick Street is anything but that. It is a trove for comics fans from all continents. The first floor features British and European creators while the basement level is all American four-colored delight (they've got boxes of back issues too). I like the fact the the first floor is dedicated to the homegrown the their continental cousins.

In Europe the super-hero genre is left mostly to their North American counterparts. There are quite a few but most topics deal with the indie culture that tells about life and the mundane. The artwork takes some time for American comics attuned senses to appreciate. Think of the styles of Love and Rockets, Maus, Adventure Life and Ren & Stimpy. A lot of the British and European styles cater to the more impressionistic.

What I like about Gosh Comics is they carry a lot of indie comics that you will not see on the racks of Foyles (by far the best British bookstore) or other stores I have come across. The staff is knowledgable and very friendly.

You can also say that Gosh Comics is the home of the graphic novel. You will find just about everything here. Incredible selection.

For this trip, I picked up Michael Cho's Shoplifter and Fumio Obata's Just So Happens. While they may sound more for the female of the species, I cannot resist good storytelling and sumptuous artwork. I did pick up Dungeon Fun that is more for kids (since I will be writing some children's stuff this will help).

Picked up these bookplated numbered and signed books by the respective offers. Good titles.